Construction for suspending fabrics



Dec. 27, 1927. 1,654,422

I. VAN H. LAGGREN CONSTRUCTION FOR SUSPENDING FABRICS Filed Dec. 15. 1924 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Isaac Van Hart Laggren Patented Dec. 27,1927.

UNITED STATES]:

- ISAAC VAN HART LAGGREN,.OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONSTRUCTION FOR SUSPENDING FABRICS.

Application filed December 15, 1924'. Serial No. 756,170.

I This invention relates to a construction for suspending fabric over a relatively large area where supports are provided at the'ends of the fabric and at a plurality of points intermediate the lengthwise edges of the suspended fabric. 1

An ob 'ect of the invention is to provide a simple, i'nexpensive'a'nd practical construction'of fabric of any type such as canvas, or the like, which may be used for hanging tapestries, works of art, as a covering over construction work, or for various other purposes, where it is desired to support a relatively large sheet of fabric in taut and straight position without stretching the fabric beyond the textile strength of the fabric, and to accomplish these results, the fabric is provided with a hem or tuck through which any suitable flexible ornon-flexible support members, such as a rod, rope, wire rope or the like, is inserted which supporting element is attached to a support at its ends or point of suspension and stretched taut for supporting the fabric in proper position without straining the fabric.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the following detail description, and in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1- is a view illustrating the manner of suspending a piece of fabric in accordance with the present method.

. Figure 2- is an enlarged perspective view in section illustrating the manner of connecting two pieces of fabric for providing a central longitudinal tuck through which the rod or rope support is inserted.

Figure 3 is a perspective view in section of a modified form of the invention illustrating a different manner of connecting two sections of fabric.

Figure 4.- is a view in section and perspective, illustrating the manner of forming a hem at one edge ofthe fabric for receiving the wire rope or rod support.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in, Figure 2 of the drawings, a form of connecting two pieces of fabric 1 and 2 is illustrated, and it will be noted that the meeting edges of the pieces of fabric 1 and 2 overlap as at 3, and their terminal edges are bent back upon themselves, as shown at 4, and the overlapped bent inward edges 4 are stitched longitudinally providing parallel spaced rows of stitching 5 which form a tuck 6, through which the wire rope fabric rope or rod- 7 is inserted This form or method of connecting the two pieces of fabric is particularly advantageous where a relatively large area is. to be covered with the fabric and it is necessary to suspend it from points intermediate the longitudinal or side edges of the fabric. In such use, the support 7 is attached in any suitable manner, to rigid supports, and spaced at points intermediate the side edges of the fabric and if necessary, the side edgesof the pieces of fabric 1 and 2, may be anchored in any suitable'manner without placing the carrying load of they fabric upon the anchored side edges of the suspended fabric.

In the modified form illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the edge 10 of the piece of fabricll is looped and has its terminal edge portion 15 engaged beneath the folded edge13 of the section or piece 12 of fabric, and the two pieces are stitched together through the folded over edge 13, the terminal 15 and the portion of the piece of fabric 12 against which the terminal 15 engages tl'iereby providing a tuck extending longitudinally of the sheet of fabric formed by the pieces 11 and 12 through which tuck the support 1-1 is inserted.

In Figure 4 of the drawings, a hem 20 is formed on one lengthwise edge of the piece of fabric 21 by looping the edge of the fabric over upon itself and then returning the terininal edge 22 inwardly, positioning it between the piece of fabric 21 and the adjacent portion of the hem 20 and the stitching is then made through these engaging portions to provide the hem 20 through which the support 23 is inserted, which support may be either a rod, rope, wire, wire rope, or other suitable support.

Heretofore, various methods have been employed for supporting relatively large pieces of fabric, and these methods require supports intermediate side edges of the pieces of fabric, and in close relation one to the other, to provide the desired tautness, to prevent sagging of the fabric and to provide "sufficient strength to support the fabric wherein articles of weight are attached to it; while the present method eliminates the necessity of providing expensive temporary supports such as furring or cross cables, it

provides, by stretching the supports 7, 14:,

i and 23 taut and anchoring them rigidly at It is, of course, to be understood, that the invention may be constructed in various other manners and the parts associated in different relations, and therefore, I do not desire to be limited in any manner, except as set forth in the claim hereunto appended.

What I claim is:

A construction of fabric for suspension over a relatively large area, consisting of a plurality of sheetsof fabric with their longitudinal edges overlapped and bent back upon themselves, means for joining together the lengthwise overlapped bent back edges, the construction and arrangement of said overlapped bent back edges and the joining surface of each sheet of fabric intermediate the lengthwise edges. a plurality of nonfiexiblc suspension wires extending through all of said hems with their extremities extending beyond the end edges of the sheets of fabric, means for anchoring said extremities to a wall or other stationary support for suspending the fabric in a levelmanner and supporting the sheets thereof over a relatively'large area, the construction and are .rangementof the hems and the suspension wires being such as to relieve all strain lengthwise on the fabric, and yet thereby retain the fabric'st-retched relatively taut.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ISAAC VAN HART LAGGREN. f 

